


Pair Up

by EntreNous



Series: Like Someone in Love: Pinto Ficlets [7]
Category: Actor RPF, Star Trek RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, M/M, Stand Alone, Summer Camp, Teenagers, Theatre, drama camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 21:18:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10544482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EntreNous/pseuds/EntreNous
Summary: If Zach had spotted this version of Chris P. at the mall back home?  He'd have trailed him down the concourse a couple of shops behind, trying to look absorbed in his phone and his smoothie while the whole time willing that super-hot guy to turn around and notice him once, just once.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elisa_pie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elisa_pie/gifts).



> For elisa-pie, who some time ago gave me a perfectly wonderful Pinto prompt: "hands." I got completely stumped (yeah, I don't know either), and asked for another. She kindly re-prompted me with "duet." Then nearly a year went by (how I wish I was joking). So, whether you even remember those original prompt(s) or not, here's some Pinto I wrote for you, elisa-pie! Summer teen drama camp AU, because why not?

"Okay, settle down, settle down," Karl called out from where he was seated, tan legs dangling over the edge of the main stage. "I know you're all excited to get to your Modern Movement block next."

"Oh my god, we seriously have to _move_ when it's this hot out?" a girl whined from the row behind Zach.

"Aww, don't worry. The dance studio's air-conditioned," Zoe told her. 

Even though she sounded really helpful, Zach wasn't surprised when Zoe turned back and rolled her eyes. No matter how competitive they all were, returning campers at Enterprise Drama Camp had one tacit agreement -- they treated all newbies with thinly-veiled disdain. Hell, even kids who had attended Enterprise during past summers often got fake smiles and cold shoulders when they didn't really have the chops for performance (though Zach himself had made exceptions for guys who were really, really hot).

"But before we let you go from Voice, we still have to team you up for the first round of duets," Karl continued. 

"I hope they pair us right away!" Zoe squeezed Zach's hand.

"Definitely," Zach agreed, though he was already scoping out the crowd to check out which of the returning guys had gotten hot since last summer, and whether any of the new ones might be worth his time. Not that he didn't want to sing with Zoe, but if he had a shot at rehearsing with a guy who was hookup material? There was no contest.

Zach didn't pay too much attention while Karl droned out names, except to figure out which guys had already been taken out of rotation. Evan, paired with Olivia -- too bad, because Evan had a nice tenor and had shot up since last summer. Jon, paired with Will -- okay, that was a shame, because Jon had made out with Zach twice last summer and at breakfast this morning when Zach caught his eye he'd grinned and winked. Tristan, paired with Jenna -- so not a problem, because Tristan was one of those straight guys who liked to act and sing instead of doing crew like they were all supposed to -- 

"Zoe? There you are. Zoe, you'll work with Kelly," Karl announced.

"Oh. Great," Zoe said after a pause. She glanced around and spotted Kelly, waving half-heartedly.

"Ouch," Zach murmured to her when she faced forward again.

"Okay, I'm sorry, but she's so pitchy," Zoe said. "Besides, I was psyched to sing with you!"

"It'll be okay, sweetie. It's always fun working with different people, right?" Zach gave her hand one last squeeze but quickly disentangled himself as he waited for his name to be called. 

"Zach --"

"Right here, Karl," Zach said, sitting up straighter.

"Have, like, a little chill," Zoe said under her breath.

"Zach, good to see you again," Karl said in his gruff voice. "This time you're with Chris."

"Chris H.?" Zach asked hopefully. Chris H. was fucking gorgeous, even if he had dated girls the last two summers. 

"Hmm..." Karl checked his clipboard. "No, Chris P." He glanced up and seemed to spot someone near the back of the theater. "Chris P.? Welcome back, Chris -- you're with Zach."

Zach didn't even bother stifling his groan when he slumped back down in his seat. 

All of the rows of campers started to buzz. One of the girls seated in front of them turned around to stare at Zach.

Karl looked up sharply. "Anyone want to comment on their assignment? Because if you do, you better come up here so you can do it in front of everyone."

The group immediately quieted. Karl scanned their faces one last time before returning to his clipboard. "All right. Skyler --"

"You didn't have to be such a dick," Zoe scolded Zach in an outraged whisper. 

"Ugh, he's the worst, though," Zach hissed back. "Remember last summer? 

When Zach had last laid eyes on him, Chris P. had been scrawny and awkward and clearly hadn't yet found a good acne-targeting skin care routine. Plus his voice had been breaking all over the place, so it was literally painful to hear him sing. 

Usually Zach would have been more than happy just to ignore a guy like Chris. But as the summer drew to a close, Karl had given Chris a solo for their final revue. A fucking solo, when Zach was one of the best singers at Enterprise, and only got into two group numbers and one duet! Zach had brooded about it for days as the date of the revue approached, glaring at Chris whenever he caught sight of him down by the lake or working among the other campers conscripted into set-painting duty. 

Then at the actual performance Chris's voice had cracked during the crescendo of his song. And okay, so maybe Zach laughed out loud backstage. But so what? Even the audience had let out a murmur of embarrassed laughter. 

Zoe narrowed her eyes. "Zach, you know a lot can change over a year. Besides, from what _I_ remember, he's totally sweet."

Zach shrugged, a little because Zoe only called guys 'totally sweet' when she wasn't interested in dating them. But mostly it was to cover up his twinge of guilt. It was one thing to act vaguely condescending; everyone at Enterprise did that. But obviously he knew making a big deal about being matched with Chris was kind of a dick move. He didn't want to come across like some of the assholes he had to spend the school year with. 

"--and that's everyone," Karl concluded. "I'll see you tomorrow, and we'll talk about what numbers you're going to perform. Oh, and people? Come back ready to work well with each other, okay?"

"Kelly?" Zoe called out, before Zach could coordinate grabbing spots near each other on the studio floor for Modern Movement. "Wait up! Hey, I'm so glad you're back! Aww, your t-shirt is super cute!" 

"Fine, be that way," Zach muttered. Maybe Zoe was trying to lead by example, sucking up to Kelly now, or maybe she just felt bad she'd been lukewarm to Kelly earlier. In any case, she had already run ahead, linking arms with Kelly and leaving Zach to trudge over to the dance studio alone. 

Whatever. Zoe would come around. And it wasn't like Zach had to hang out with Chris P. for the entire summer; they'd just have to get through this first round of duets. Maye he could even convince Chris P. to do a little talk-singing, and leave all the parts requiring actually good pipes for Zach. 

And then maybe at some other point during the summer, Zach would get to work with one of the seriously hot guys -- all alone, in one of the tiny rehearsal rooms, gazing into each other's eyes while --

"Um, Zach?" a smooth baritone voice asked.

"Yeah," Zach said absently as he reached down to grab his backpack. 

"Hi. I thought maybe we could talk. Since we're partnered and all."

Zach straightened slowly. He'd thought it was one of the counselors based on the low voice, but nope. Nope. 

"If you've got a minute," Chris P. added.

"I --" Zach said and blinked rapidly. Oh no. Oh fuck. Somewhere, somehow, Chris P. had gotten incredibly hot. He stood there, apparently no longer scrawny at all, patiently waiting for Zach to reply. In fact, he'd filled out nicely, like he'd maybe been on a couple of varsity sports teams during the school year and did some lifting to top it off. He even made his stupid outfit look good -- a t-shirt so threadbare Zach could see his tanned skin underneath, rolled up and completely unfashionable faded jeans, and, what the hell, a hideous pair of Crocs? On Zach it all would have looked terrible, but the get-up made Chris look (and what a time for one of Zach's SAT vocab words to pop into his head) _insouciant_. 

Zach tried not to panic. Not only did Chris P. look hot, but based on the couple of words he'd said so far, his voice was way lower and richer than last summer. That was probably really good for Chris P.'s vocal dexterity, but hearing that husky rumble was really, really bad for Zach's coming up with some kind of cool reply on the fly.

It wasn't helping any that Chris P. had grown into his dorky features and grown out his terrible buzz cut. Now he almost looked leading-man handsome with his strong jaw and soft floppy hair. And goddamn it, had his eyes always been that mesmerizingly blue? 

Honestly, if Zach had spotted this version of Chris P. at the mall back home? He'd have trailed him down the concourse a couple of shops behind, trying to look absorbed in his phone and his smoothie while the whole time willing that super-hot guy to turn around and notice him once, just once.

"Hey!" Zach almost shouted. He covered his grimace at his exclamation and summoned his best confused face. "Wait, _you're_ Chris P.? It's so funny, because I couldn't remember which Chris was which -- but hey, you came back!"

"Yeah. It's just 'Chris' this time though, since I'm the only Chris here this summer." Chris smiled sheepishly. "And I almost didn't come back." 

"Oh, because -- because," Zach stammered. He couldn't exactly finish that sentence with "because you completely humiliated yourself last summer," right? 

"Because of baseball training camp. But then my session got switched, and there were still spots left for returning campers here." Chris shrugged. "Besides, my mom thought I should give it another go."

"Wow, great!" Zach cleared his throat and tried to think fast. Maybe Chris just wanted to chat about a possible duet, but more likely? He was about to call Zach out on the whole groaning thing. 

So Zach needed to do damage control and quick. He could go with his fake confusion angle and pretend he hadn't wanted to work with some other Chris. But, no, last summer there were only two Chrises, and no one would believe Zach would protest pairing up with Chris H.

He could try to pass the groan off as some kind of innovative vocal exercise? Or, wait, no, should he distract Chris by blurting out a new topic? Maybe about how they should go to the best hook up place at the camp, the shed by the pond, instead of going to Modern Movement?

"I know you're probably...concerned about singing with me because of last summer," Chris began. His cheeks had flushed as soon as he started to speak, and they quickly burned a deeper red. "But my drama teacher says my voice has really developed these past few months, and --"

"No, no, no," Zach interrupted him. "Last summer? What? No concerns at all!" 

"Oh. Okay." Chris stared at him for a moment before he licked his lips. "So you're...really not worried about being my partner?"

"Why would I be?" Zach exclaimed. 

Chris shook his head. "I guess, um. I don't know." He hesitated. "So we're cool then?" 

"So cool," Zach promised him.

A perplexed expression flitted over Chris's face. He licked his lips again.

The strained silence stretched out while Zach stared helplessly at Chris's mouth.

"So should we head over to the studio?" Chris ventured to ask. "We probably shouldn't miss the warm-up."

"What?" Zach glanced around; apparently everyone else had already trickled out. "Oh, oh yeah. Um, after you." He gestured for Chris to go ahead.

Chris flashed him an uncertain smile and led the way. 

Zach hurried after. He'd never been really big on the steps they had to do in Modern Movement, but if he could grab a place on the floor behind Chris, he bet he could probably drum up some serious enthusiasm.


End file.
